Mystlynx vs the Chuck Me Mondays Challenge
by Mystlynx
Summary: Taking up Verkisto's challenge, I am jumping in. Chap. 21 We all know what happened in Chuck vs the Gravitron. Afterwards though? Since the equipment was out, it was time for some Lie Detector Truth or Dare.
1. Chuck vs the Pilot

**Morgan meets a Ninja**

He was in his element. Gazing down at the upturned and innocent faces of his fellow green shirts, Morgan prepared to dazzle them with his tale of derring-do. Standing on the arm of a chair, he spread his hands in a call for attention. With his opening line, he had them, "Yes, the rumors are all true. Chuck's computer was killed by a ninja." The assembled employees responded with enough 'oohs' and 'ahhs' to make a Fourth of July gathering blush in shame.

"Ninjas are so cool," Fernando said.

Feigning dismay, Morgan slowly shook his head side to side. "Cool? You didn't witness the carnage that was once a living, breathing desktop pc." Pretending to wipe a tear from his eye, Morgan talked on, "Hard drives cut down in their prime, power supply nothing but twisted wreckage." Somberly, Morgan locked eyes with each of them in turn. "It was the most horrific sight of my young life."

Fernando looked properly chastised, withering under the baleful stares of his co-workers. Morgan let him wriggle uncomfortably just a few moments longer before busting into a huge grin. "You bet it was cool." Warming up to the subject, his words coming faster, "Oh man, Chuck and I walk in and there he was. All dressed head to toe in black. I was instantly on the alert and looking for any available weapon.. Mr. Ninja set the computer down and dropped into a classic kung-fu pose. Hee-yahh!" Morgan shifted to demonstrate, wobbling a bit on his precarious perch.

"His defenses were too good. I hurled anything handy in an effort to drive him off, but, he expertly deflected every single missile." Morgan's arms swung this way and that as he tossed imaginary weapons. "That was the moment Chuck chose to make his move. The man is my best bud in the whole world, and I hate to speak ill of him. Let's just say his attempt was less than effective. I knew it was up to me." Morgan stood tall.

Flicking his eyes down, he made sure he still had the crowd mesmerized. "Hand to hand, I would surely be a goner. I needed a weapon to take on Mr. Ninja. Then, fortune smiled on me in the shape of a nine iron." Morgan's hand dropped to his hip, drawing forth the imagined golf club like a samurai of old would his katana. "It started as a game of cat and mouse, each of us looking for any weakness to exploit." Morgan weaved the imagined implement over the green garbed flock. With a quick jab, he hopped to the next chair.

"I am man enough to admit that I was over-matched. Mr. Ninja drew me in and disarmed me in the blink of an eye." Morgan threw his hands up, palms open to show he was unarmed. "Then, dear friends, I was struck down by my own blade." He flopped onto the chair, a picture of disarray. "That was when he carried out the dreadful deed. Before our very eyes, the ninja assassinated Chuck's computer."

There was stunned silence in the group of listeners. That a person could commit such a terrible task was tremendously troubling. Buymorians to the core, they looked upon Morgan with a mixture of respect and awe at his survival. He basked in the warm glow of their attention as his gaze traveled far afield. "I never expected a ninja would smell so.....nice."


	2. Chuck vs the Helicopter

**The Awesome After-dinner Assessment**

Carrying the last of the dinnerware, Devon watched as Ellie scooped up a glass and thrust it into the soapy water. "Whoa, babe. It's never good to wash angry," he cautioned, nodding at the runnels of water now scooting across the counter. "Why don't you cut the dishes some slack and let me do that while you tell me all about it." Gently, he moved Ellie aside, her hand still clutching the glass in a white-knuckled grip.

"Devon, do you think Sarah is pretty?"

"Umm...I guess if you like that type. Yeah, I can see someone saying she's attractive." Sensing a possible trap, Devon replied with a carefully neutral tone.

Ellie swatted him on the arm, a bit too hard to be considered playful. "Come on, you can tell me the truth."

Looking guardedly at his girlfriend to see just how truthful she wanted him to be, he acceded to her wishes. "Okay, if you were to ask any ten guys, they'd say she was a knockout ten out of ten times." Accurate, while still deflecting her from his personal opinion.

Meanwhile, Ellie had cast her gaze out the window. In a much softer voice, she asked, "Do you think that she might be too pretty to be with my brother?" There was the bitter aftertaste of shame in those words. She loved Chuck with all her heart and knew he was a great guy. Even so, something had been off at dinner. She could feel it.

"Ellie, that's harsh. Just because Sarah is really good looking, it doesn't automatically make her shallow. Maybe she can see the awesome guy that is our Chuckster. Besides, what other reason could she have. If Sarah's a gold-digger, then she is barking up the wrong family tree."

"What? You mean she wouldn't want a piece of all this?" Ellie swung her arms wide to take in their apartment. "I'm being silly aren't I? It's everything I've wanted for Chuck ever since he got kicked out of Stanford and Jill dumped him. Now he finds a great girl, and here I am, picking it apart, looking for some flaw."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, babe. He's your younger brother and you've been looking out for him for most of your life. You don't want him to just find a girl, you want him to find the right girl. Whether Sarah is all that or not, it's too early to tell." Drying his hands off, he turned to Ellie and pulled her into a hug. "Right now, I think we should be happy for him."

"I want to be happy for him, Devon. Believe me I do. But you saw him tonight. That strange toast and then the unbelievable magic trick with the tablecloth. I know my brother and that wasn't him." Ellie rested her head on his shoulder. "I guess I don't know what to think right now."

Devon's fingers played soothingly with a lock of her hair as he held her close. "Cut him some slack, Ellie. It's been what, 5 years? Chuck just needs a little time back in the saddle to get his bearings. I bet in a year, we'll be laughing at this conversation. Chuck and Sarah will be like the most boring and normal couple ever."

"You're probably right." Going up on her toes, Ellie gave Devon a kiss. Her gaze turned a little frosty. "So, you think Sarah is really good looking?"


	3. Chuck vs the Tango

**Carmichael, PI in Two to Tango**

**a Nerd Noir production**

"Carmichael, I got a job for ya." Sarah Walker burst through the door, coming to stand expectantly in front of my desk.

I let her cool her heels for a few clock-cycles. It had been a long night and I needed a little hair of the dog to reset my circuit breakers. Knocking back a stiff shot of scotch, the slow burn down my throat provided a good start to the morning reboot. With my OS up and running, I turned an eye to the dame in my office. She was a real looker. One of those custom built jobs, a slick case filled with hardware handpicked by God himself. But, she was also trouble. Her job at the dog stand downstairs was fiction. She got paid by her Uncle, a guy named Sam. And when Uncle Sam comes calling, you'd better respond to his email.

"What can I do for ya, Walker? I'm pretty busy here." I pawed at some papers on my desk. She didn't need to know they were unpaid bills instead of client information. A job would be good right now, and a government job meant a pretty respectable payday. Things were tight and I could use the dough. Pretending a bare minimum of interest, I said, "So, talk. I ain't got all day, dollface."

Oh, she talked all right, but she didn't play fair doing it. I watched her lean over my desk, pressing her palms flat on the stained surface. This brought us almost eye to eye. What she really did, was give me an eyeful. I got a good gander down her top at the sweetest pair of processors this side of Intel R&D. "It's your kind of job, Carmichael. We need someone located. There's an international mata-hari wannabe, goes by the moniker La Ciudad. We got word she's in town and lookin to crash a few hard drives."

Fighting off the sudden urge to upload some software into the seductive siren, I scowled at Agent Walker instead. "Sounds pretty simple. Why come to a third party program like me? Your anti-spyware a little lacking these days?"

"La Ciudad's too good, been in the biz. She can spot a spook from a mile a way. We figger you're common enough to slip under her radar. Your bios didn't come from a government training program. Her firewall shouldn't flag you as a threat." Walker kept up the pressure. She walked around my desk, giving me a good look at her firmware. The Wienerlicious skirt so short, she was showing enough leg to get arrested in some cities.

"Say I do this little job for God and country, what's in it for me?" I groused, smirking as thoughts of her USB slot and my zip drive collided in my brain with spectacular results.

"Naturally, I'd be very appreciative." She tossed her shoulders back and treated me to a view of her front side bus that would put most motherboards to shame. "And, there'd be payment. Your normal rates on delivery."

Walker was cranking up the voltage in an attempt to overclock my cpu. If they needed me that bad, I had the advantage. "I want double my normal rates, half up front. And all the info you got on this broad."

She disabled the sex kitten skin, regarding me coolly before nodding. "Done. Be downstairs in a couple hours, lunch is on me." Just before she closed my door, the dame tossed my way, "Oh, and Carmichael, welcome to the party. It's nice to see you know how to Tango."


	4. Chuck vs the Wookie

**Chuck and Carina sitting in a tree**

"Bryce?...Bryce? What...what're you talking about?"

"What, you don't know about Bryce? Bryce Larkin?" Carina moved in close to finish with a whisper. "Her boyfriend."

Chuck's heart sank into his shoes. Boyfriend? Of course he was her boyfriend. Why wouldn't she be interested in Bryce after all? That also meant she'd lied right to his face. Looked him square in the eye and told him what he wanted to hear. To what ends he couldn't fathom, but did it really matter? Sarah kept asking him to trust her. How could he trust someone who turned to lies to keep him under control?

"Chuck, do you want me?" Throaty and mellow, Carina's words drifted from lips that hovered tantalizingly close to his ear. Warmth tangled with the fine hairs on his neck as she exhaled.

Brought back to the moment, Chuck's senses sharpened, providing him a very detailed diagram of every point of contact between them. She was leaned into him from behind, pleasingly soft in some places, firm and toned in others. She'd chosen a perfume that was deceptively understated and impossible for him to ignore. Chuck leaned forward quickly, rising to stand.

"I could use another drink. Do you want a drink? How about I get us both a drink?" Pulling her mostly full glass from her hand abruptly, he retrieved his own glass before crossing to the champagne bottle. "I normally don't drink this late at night. Well, I guess you could say this early in the morning, cause it is morning." He picked up the bottle and splashed a liberal amount into their glasses. Picking them up, he drained one and then the other in quick gulps as he looked around the room, focusing everywhere but at the woman on the bed.

Carina took it all in with an amused expression. He was definitely not a spy. This could be even more fun than she thought. Catlike, she slipped from the bed, her robe a puddle of fabric on the hotel comforter. Two quick steps brought her to Chuck. Carelessly, she knocked the glasses from his grasp, forgotten before they reached the carpet. His hands, she'd noticed them already, imagined what they might feel like. They'd be soft, un-calloused. Carina intended to put them to good use as she drew them around her.

Circled in his arms, she raised herself up just enough to reach his lips, making sure there was no space between their bodies. The first kiss drew no response. Tilting her head slightly to the side, she dove in again. Lips slightly parted on her second attempt. Carina felt a twitch at the contact. Her third kiss was met with an explosive response. The hands she'd purposely placed on her bottom gripped convulsively, lifting her off her feet. She wrapped arms and legs around Chuck as their fevered kiss stole her breath. Carina wondered how long it had been for the man that was carrying her to bed.

Chuck was falling. Falling onto the bed with Carina tangled around him. Falling with no end in sight as he thought of Sarah's betrayal. Was betrayal too strong a word? Maybe she thought he was too weak to handle the truth without crumbling. Could he be that much of a loser in her mind? Well, he had been pining for Jill going on five years now. Sarah might have thought she was taking it easy on him. The pale blue of Carina's eyes pierced his ruminations. She was obviously willing, and, he didn't owe Sarah anything. And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't right.

"Chuck?" Carina was looking up at him, lips curled in a seductive pout that was totally at odds with the questioning tone in her voice.

"Earth to Chuck." There it was again, something definitely didn't feel right. Closing his eyes, he pushed at the fog that had fallen over him. The world snapped into place. He was once again seated on the bed with Carina behind him, left panting by the lurid images of his startling hallucination. Jumping quickly to his feet, Chuck reached for his case. He flushed in embarrassment, his rebellious body having responded enthusiastically to the sudden fantasy. He held his Nerd Herd tool kit in front of him to cover up as best he could.

"I...I think I should get going. Thanks for the champagne Carina." Chuck backed awkwardly to the door, shielding himself from her lascivious stare.

Draped casually across the bed, Carina called out as the door swung closed. "Come back anytime."


	5. Chuck vs the Sizzling Shrimp

**A Mother's Day for Me**

Lost in thought, Sarah drove the deserted streets of Burbank. The warmth of the Bartowski home was a fading memory. He'd called it Mother's Day. A celebration of loss and learning. They were an odd pair, Ellie and Chuck. Helpless to stop it, the two watched their family shrink away to nothing. In retaliation, they came together and created something new and better. For them, friends were family and worthy of the same love and loyalty.

Sarah really couldn't decide which was worse. Growing up not knowing your mother, not knowing if she ever loved you at all. Or, growing up with someone who says they love you, only to have the rug pulled out from under you and throw it all into question. She'd never really considered there could be a situation worse than hers. When your very existence was the only proof you had a mother, how much loss could one truly feel?

After tonight, she didn't think it would be possible to ever view Chuck the same way again. Would she wonder if his goofy smile had started as a shield? Created to protect him from the looks of pity and words of condolence for the boy that no longer had a mother. Could his buoyant and open nature really be born of the need to fill a hole in his heart where that woman used to live? It even gave her a new perspective on his years long stagnation after Jill. Why expect anyone to stay when your own mother wasn't capable? Certainly doesn't give you a good reason to move on. Move on to what?

Her thoughts were interrupted by her phone buzzing for attention. Looking down, she saw Chuck's face smiling from the display. "Hey Chuck. What are you still doing up?"

Sounding more subdued than she was used to, he answered, "Thinking."

"Talk to me Chuck, I'm listening."

"I'm probably going over the line asking this, but, I can't stop the churning in my head. Tonight was very special to me. It's always been important for Ellie and I, but, adding in Morgan.....and you.....made it.......different. Don't get me wrong, it was a good kind of different. You know, if our relationship were remotely real, something like tonight could be taken as a big deal." She could hear the hesitation in his voice. "Don't worry, it's a cover, I get that. Sarah, I guess what I want to ask is, tonight, was it a gathering of friends?"

Without thinking, she answered, "Yes Chuck. You and Ellie were among friends."

She could hear his voice brighten. "Thank you Sarah. I better let you go. Have a good night."

"You too Chuck, get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

Sarah pulled off the road and stopped her car. She couldn't believe what she'd just done. Friend was not simply a word to people like Chuck and his sister. Leaning her head on the steering wheel, she had an awful thought. When the assignment was over, they would never see her again. One day, she'd be on that list of people who'd failed them. In the future, would Chuck observe a Mother's Day for her. And, why did she suddenly care so damn much.


	6. Chuck vs the Sandworm

**Ham and Swiss on Rye, Oh My!**

"But, who brings roast beef to a deserted island? That's a terrible choice. Ugh. You know what? You gotta dump her," Morgan proclaimed with finality. Listening in, Casey grimaced at the prospect of another marathon sandwich debate by the moron twins.

"I'm not sure she'd take that all too well," said Chuck. "I'm sorry Sarah, but we have to break up. If only you were a fan of pastrami instead."

Poking her head through Chuck's door, Ellie squeaked, "What! You're breaking up with Sarah? Oh, no, no, no, Chuck. Please tell me it's not true."

"No need to worry, sis. I'm not the one breaking up with Sarah. Morgan is."

Ellie frowned, perplexed. "How can Morgan break up with Sarah? They're not even dating."

"And it's a good thing, too. Morgan is a sandwich snob. Can you believe he would break up with Sarah over a sandwich? I mean, what's wrong with bringing roast beef if you were gonna be trapped on a desert island.?"

"Roast beef is ALL wrong for a desert island," Ellie said as she plopped down on Chuck's bed.

Morgan pointed at Ellie. "Thank you. See Chuck, someone in the Bartowski family has good taste."

"After all, a desert island would be hot. You'd want something cool and refreshing. Ooh, ooh, I know, cucumber finger sandwiches with a light dill sauce," Ellie enthused.

"I spoke too soon." Morgan's chin dropped to his chest. "That would never keep in the moist, tropical air."

Devon poked his head in the window. "Tropics? Are we discussing vacation getaway ideas. Dudes, two years ago I spent a week in the Bahamas and it was awesome."

About this time, Casey was considering joining any monastery that strictly enforced a code of silence. The lack of potential for gun play was the only thing that stopped him.

Not ready to give up on her idea, Ellie put Devon on the spot, "Sweetie? If you were going to be trapped on a desert island, wouldn't you take a sandwich that was zesty and stimulating? Something like, cucumber sandwiches with dill sauce?"

"Spam," Devon replied without hesitation, climbing in through the Morgan door to join Ellie on the bed.

"Spam!" they exclaimed. Chuck, Morgan and Ellie were incredulous.

"Of course, Spam. It comes in handy little tins, keeps forever, and you can make hot or cold sandwiches with it. It's a very practical choice."

Morgan turned to Chuck. "This conversation has taken a bad turn. I can't believe we've sunk so low as to be discussing processed meat-like substances."

At that, Casey felt affronted. Spam WAS very practical. He missed the old days though. The little tins used to come with a key that you needed to open it. One time in Jordan, he'd had to kill a man with one of those keys. He sighed happily at the memory, until Chuck's voice tore the pleasant daydream to shreds.

"Devon, I can understand the logic of your choice, but if we include Spam, then what's to stop us from considering things like hot dogs in our sandwich debate?" Chuck explained to his sister's boyfriend.

"Hot dogs?"

All eyes turned to see Sarah standing in the doorway.

"Did you want a hot dog, Chuck? I can go get you one," Sarah offered with a smile.

"Thank you, Sarah. But, not necessary. We were just debating the best sandwich to take on a desert island. I've already told Morgan about your roast beef idea," Chuck said, making eye contact with Sarah as a signal to play along.

"Oh yes, love that roast beef," Sarah chimed in as she walked across the room and dropped into Chuck's lap. "But, now that I've had some time to think about it, I might reconsider my suggestion."

"Not Walker too," Casey said in disgust. "Could this night get any worse?"

"Major Casey!"

"Huh...whuzzat...," he mumbled, cracking his eyes open slowly.

"Major Casey, wake up!" The no-nonsense voice of General Beckman echoed through the room.

Running his hand down his face, Casey realized he must have nodded off and was having some kind of nightmare, a sandwich hell. Thank God it was all a dream.

"Sorry General. I'm awake now. What did you need?" Casey sat at attention in front of his glowering superior.

"Major Casey, this is very important. I need you to find the asset immediately and deliver this message. The only sandwich to take on a desert island would be ham and Swiss on rye. With spicy brown mustard of course."

"Nooo! Nooo! NOOOOOOO!" Casey bolted upright in his chair, knocking the headphones askew. Blearily, he scanned his living room. Darkness greeted him. It was dark in his apartment. The courtyard was dark too, party having ended long ago. He turned a jaundiced eye on the empty glass of scotch and remains of a meatball hot pocket. "Never again."

The Major stood up to go to bed. But first, a quick snack sounded good. He faced the kitchen and wondered if he had any Spam.


	7. Chuck vs the Alma Mater

**I'm Not Ready**

Off to Stanford they went in Devon's car. Chuck and Sarah were squished in the back seat with a couple of Devon's frat buddies. The overstuffed vehicle was filled with boisterous conversation and not a small amount of bragging. Chuck turned his head to look out the window, thoughts and stomach in turmoil. Sarah's hand found his, '_Are you okay_?'

He gave a squeeze, nervousness showing through in the twitching of his fingers. '_I'm trying to be._' Sarah could feel his tension induced staccato tapping on the back of her hand. _'Sarah, I'm not ready for this._'

With a light brush from her free hand, she stilled the tremors. '_You'll be fine. I promise._'

Slowly, he brought his eyes around to meet hers. '_You'll be with me the whole time, right?_'

Sarah gave a slight nod. '_Of course._' Her lips turned up into a hint of a smile. '_And Casey will be there too._'

'_Cause that always makes things better,_' he added by rolling his eyes. Chuck couldn't help but mirror her amused expression. It only lasted a moment before his face fell. '_I just wish one time we could go on a mission and you didn't have to deal with me being such a wreck._'

Gripping his hand in both of hers, she frowned. '_Stop that! You've handled everything thrown at you better than anyone could have expected._' Sarah raised an eyebrow and flashed a stern glare. '_I just wish you'd do as you're told once in a while._'

'_What!? And make your job easy? I can't see the fun in that._' Chuck let loose with a full on smile.

Keeping her expression sober, Sarah dropped her gaze. '_I'm serious. I don't like worrying about you. I want you to be safe. Chuck, I can't do my job properly with such distractions._' She pulled her hands back and folded them in her lap.

Reaching out, he placed a finger under her chin and gently brought her around to face him. '_Am I only a job?_' His bottomless eyes held both question and plea.

Sarah sighed. '_No, not just a job.' _She straightened one of his unruly curls. Fingers going still at the realization of what she was doing. Drawing back her hand, '_The job is why I'm here, it has to be my focus.'_

This time, Chuck captured her hand in both of his. '_Why does it only have to be the one way?_'

'_It just does.'_ Turning with a plea in her cerulean gaze, '_Chuck, I'm not ready for this.'_

Resting her hand on his chest, the steady thump-thump beat against her palm. '_You'll be fine. I promise._'

Leaning her head on his shoulder, Sarah twined her fingers in his and closed her eyes. After all, it would be good for the cover.

Pressed close to Devon in the overloaded front seat, Ellie had watched the whole exchange in the rear-view mirror. She felt a glimmer of understanding at their description of things being complicated. Ellie only wished they could see themselves as they look right now.


	8. Chuck vs the Truth

**Good Vibrations**

As Chuck walked out of the Weinerlicious, he couldn't keep down the smile that wanted to explode from him. Yeah, it had been for the benefit of Scooter and their cover, but still, the memory of Sarah throwing him down and kissing him had his heart pounding. Chuck was gliding along more than walking as the images ran and re-ran in his mind's eye.

"My baby! On no! Someone help me!" A desperate mother yelled. Gasps arose from nearby pedestrians and shoppers as they spotted the careening stroller and young infant. It was rolling unattended towards the busy exit of the Buy More parking lot.

"Come on Chuck, it wasn't all that. She was doing it because she had to. And when did you start talking to yourself?" He looked down, following a crack in the asphalt with his eyes and noted a flash of copper up ahead. "See a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck." Stooping to retrieve the glinting currency, he reached to his side to stop an oncoming stroller before it could cover up the penny.

Straightening, he glanced at the giggling and cherubic face of the young child. "Hey little guy, it's a great day isn't it?" Spying his out of breath mother approaching, Chuck handed over the penny to her and then gave the boy a little tickle on his round belly. "I think I've got all the luck I need for today. Have a great day ma'am."

Overjoyed and confused at the same time, she was barely able to spit out, "Thank you." before wrapping her son up in a grateful hug and watching his odd savior walk away.

Chuck looked up at the bright, blue sky and yellow sun, feeling the warmth tickle his nose and cheeks. "Ahh yes, another lovely California day. Seems a shame to have to work."

Nearby, a somewhat frazzled director was trying to coax a better performance from the three young models as they worked on an 'underpants, Etc.' commercial. Why they tried to set up in front of the store and film in a parking lot was beyond him. Probably some suit upstairs that thought they could save a few bucks. Turning an unhappy eye on the three "actresses" also had him wondering about budget decisions.

"Come on Mandy, you're supposed to be having fun. Toss the beach ball to Candy and giggle or something. Oh, and can we do something with Randy's hair, it keeps getting in her face and ruining the shot." _'Why me?'_ kept running through his head.

Trying her best to look enthusiastic, Mandy gave the ball a healthy toss and sent it sailing well over Candy's outstretched hands. Entranced by the young ladies, a helpful crewman ran to retrieve the ball in hopes of a little reward for the effort. His boom mike uncontrolled, it swung around crazily.

"Darn, look at that, shoe came untied again. Would be my luck to trip myself and have Casey or Sarah see it. They'd razz me about it for a month at least." Dropping down, Chuck retied his shoe as the boom mike swooshed inches over his head.

The three girls rushed forward after witnessing the near accident. Not finished, the out of control arm collided with a light stand. The lights wobbled drunkenly before crashing to the ground, leaving bent metal and shattered glass covering the spot the young models were just standing in.

"Oh my God," Mandy squealed.

"that would've," Candy squeaked.

"hit us!" Randy squawked.

Instantly, cell phones came whipping out.

"I'm calling my psychic," Mandy exclaimed.

"I need to call my life coach," Candy explained.

"I have to call my mother," Randy expressed.

Mandy and Candy shared a 'she's not going to make it in this business' look.

Satisfied with his work, Chuck stood up and resumed his travels to the Buy More. Whistling happily as he observed a man running by with a large beach ball. Not something you see everyday, but that's California for you.

Joey Donetti, or Joey 'Doughnuts' to his crew, was sauntering along casually. He only had eyes for the purse swinging in a loose grip just ahead of him. Not one to turn down an easy score, he edged closer. Taking a last look around the parking lot, he didn't see any cops, rented or real. Rushing forward, he snagged the purse and took off at a run.

The matronly woman screeched in alarm as a hooligan scrambled by and stole her bag. "Help, police! Stop that man, he's stealing my purse! Stop him please!"

'_Scream all you want lady. I'll be long gone before any help can arrive. None of these sheep will get in my way.'_ Joey thought confidently as he dodged between a couple cars.

"Well now, what's this." Chuck commented at the wayward shopping cart. "This could roll and dent someone's car." Scanning the area, he quickly spotted the nearest cart corral. Taking hold of the hand grip, he gave it a healthy push and sent it on it's way. "That's my good deed for the day." Focusing on the doors of the Buy More, Chuck fixed his attention on returning to work.

Joey's cry of surprise was cut off by the impressive collision as a shopping cart magically appeared in front of him. He tumbled painfully to the ground, rolling until he collided with a Crown Victoria. A jarring impact with the solid steel bodywork left him woozy and disoriented.

The doors of the Buy More opened seconds before Chuck's arrival and Casey came rushing out. He watched the large agent run past without a glance or word. Swiveling around, Chuck saw the reason for his hurry. Looking at the disheveled man leaned up against the Vic, "I wouldn't want to be that guy right now," he said. "Oh well, back to work." Chuck walked through the doors on his way to the Nerd Herd desk and a boring afternoon. _'I can still feel her lips on mine...oh wow.'_


	9. Chuck vs the Imported Hard Salami

**Stakeouts, Catering and Casey**

"Walker!" he yelled at the closing door. Disgusted, Casey turned back to the screens. He'd never expected she would be the one to blow an op. Not with the bumbling Bartowski usually stepping in it every time he turned around. She could deny all she wanted, Casey had good reason to ask if she'd compromised herself with the asset. A day didn't go by where one or the other didn't make cow eyes when they thought he wasn't looking.

Taking a bite of his sandwich, Casey watched her enter the club and search for Bartowski. It wasn't surprising that the moron's date spotted her first. The poor girl looked bored to tears. Probably not unusual with Chuck as your boyfriend, even without the mission requirements in play. He was actually glad Walker had been tasked with the cover of Bartowski's girlfriend. Casey could not imagine the excitement of following nerd boy around on real dates with the kinds of girls he would attract. It brought to mind a very Seussian image of Chuck and lady-friend in Nerd 1 and Nerd 2 t-shirts. Although, that didn't explain Lou's interest. She seemed almost as out of his league as Walker was on the surface. Maybe there was something to him that surpassed the geeky outer shell.

The sudden, mental image of Walker and the asset engaged in a heated lip-lock had Casey snorting with amusement. Like that would ever happen. Sure, she's a bit soft on the chump, but he's not exactly her type. Bryce might've been a treasonous bastard, even so, the guy was probably a big hit with the ladies. He could see Walker still reeling and somewhat on the rebound from everything happening so quickly. The Major felt sure that her agent training would reassert itself given some more time. No reason to push for a reassignment just yet. Casey had to admit, she could handle herself pretty well. He could definitely do worse for a partner.

He watched the scene unfold as he slowly chewed on the very tasty sandwich. There was Chuck and Sarah, standing overly close to each other and talking on the dance floor. His eyes moved to take in the expression on Lou's face. She might not have the best taste in men, but she could build a great sandwich. Looking down, Casey admired his pastrami on cracked wheat, some provolone and lettuce for a compliment and finished with spicy mustard and mayo drizzled lightly over the meat. The flavors all blended so nicely on his tongue, each bite better than the last.

Attention lifting from the sandwich to the monitors, he was just in time to spot Lou making her getaway with Chuck moving to intercept. Looked like the rose had been a waste of time after all. Like they say, you can lead a horse to water. Turning quickly at the sound of the van door sliding open, he watched a somewhat miffed Agent Walker climb back in. "Everything okay with the boy toy?" he asked. Sarah responded with an annoyed glare as she put her headphones back on.

They both settled in to watch Chuck try and convince Lou to stay. Casey popped the last delectable morsel into his mouth and licked off his fingers as the would-be girlfriend stormed away. Oh well, looked like they'd be packing it up soon. The surveillance might have been a bust, but the snack was top notch.

"Hey Walker, what do you think the perfect sandwich to take on stakeout would be?" The question had seemed innocent enough until he saw the wide-eyed look on her face. _'Oh crap, I've been contaminated by Bartowski and Grimes!'_


	10. Chuck vs the Nemesis

**Does It Get Any Easier?**

She leaned her head on the cool glass. Staring out at the twinkling city lights, her attention was turned fully inward and focused on the motions of a certain man behind her. He was getting ready for bed. Of course he would be, they had a big day tomorrow. The question was, did he have expectations about 'bedtime' that went beyond sleeping. More importantly, did she?

She felt the subtle shift in temperature at his approach. A gentle wash of heat from his most likely bare chest teased her back. Sarah tried to still the increase in her heart rate. It wasn't right for him to just return out of the blue and think all was normal. Drawing back her far-away gaze, she met his reflected stare in the window. The curve of his lips told her all she needed to know. Well, he was about to find out that it wasn't going to be that easy.

Bryce trapped her between his body and the city outside. His hands rested on the window, grazing her shoulders with his forearms. Sarah turned in the suddenly too hot space she found herself in. Whatever words she had for him were lost at the sudden kiss. Just like in Chuck's room, she responded automatically. The intervening months had been so hard and now here he was, a reminder of what passed for simpler times in the life of a CIA agent. Her body remembered him as well. Each cell carried an imprint of the pleasure they'd shared and a need for the person pressed against her.

The internal struggle was over before it began. Shoving away from the cityscape with a growl, she sent them spinning on a collision course with her bed. In a deft motion, Bryce turned the fall to his advantage, landing on top of Sarah. Arching against him, she moaned her approval. Their kiss broken for a few seconds, Sarah breathed out in a rush, "I can't believe you're back. Bryce, I love you....."

At those words, Bryce looked up. "Sorry, Chuck, looks like you lose again. But c'mon, buddy, did you really think you ever had a shot with someone like Sarah?" He started laughing and soon Sarah joined in, mocking laughter that pierced to the heart.

"No! No! No! Nooooo!" Chuck shot up in bed. With a white knuckled grip on the sheets, he stared out into the moon-bathed courtyard and fought down waves of anxiety and nausea. '_This isn't how it's supposed to happen,_' he told himself. _'Bryce can't come back from the dead and take another piece of my life. He can't!'_

Knock...Knock...Knock...

Casey swung open his door and took in the disheveled, obviously rattled Chuck. He'd had a feeling tonight was going to be a long one. Good thing he was prepared. As Chuck opened his mouth to speak, Casey cut him off, "Just get in here and sit down. I don't want to hear about any of your feelings." He pointed to his table where two glasses of scotch and two semi-automatic pistols lay in wait.

"Ummm, Casey, you do know that the National Russian Roulette Society has banned the use of automatic pistols in sanctioned matches." Chuck gulped nervously as he looked at the bigger man.

"Those are semi-automatics moron. Now sit down and leave the talking to me." Not waiting for a reply, Casey marched over and took a seat at the table. Sipping his scotch, he waited for Chuck to join him. "All right Chuck, here's the drill. I'm going to teach you to strip down, clean and reassemble the pistol in front of you. It's a standard model 1911 .45 caliber handgun. Not practical for an agents use really. They lose accuracy quickly after about 10 to 15 yards and only have a 7 round clip. You'd never find an operative worth his salt out in the field with one of these. It's very easy to work with and maintain though, so, perfect for your first lesson."

Wide-eyed, Chuck couldn't believe what he was hearing. He started to say something but was silenced by a warning growl from Casey. Next, Chuck was handed a cleaning kit and drop cloth. "Just do exactly what I do and memorize it."

First, Casey shook out his drop cloth and laid it on the table. It was centered perfectly with it's edges parallel to the table edges. Chuck's attempt was sloppy and Casey wouldn't move on until it matched the perfection of his example. After that, a piece at a time, he took the pistol apart and laid each part in a precise location on the cloth. Once Chuck had them laid out to Casey's satisfaction, they moved on to cleaning the weapon properly and then reassembly.

Chuck wasn't sure how long it took, but there in front of him was an intact pistol, looking just like it had when he started. Confused as to just what Casey was doing, he took a swig of his scotch and then asked the question that had brought him over in the first place. "Does it get any easier?"

Casey picked up his drop cloth and laid it out with the same precision as before. "Again."

"Casey, that's not what I was talking about," Chuck sputtered.

"Again!"

Sighing, Chuck picked up his drop cloth and set it out as a mirror to Casey's. Part way through the process, Casey looked up to see Chuck slumped over and asleep at the table. "It works every time." He stood silently and moved around to the young man. With great care, he maneuvered Chuck to the couch and laid him down. He turned and watched his asset for a moment before turning off the light. "Sorry kid, you get used to it, but it never gets easy."


	11. Chuck vs the Crown Vic

**Mistletoe Training**

Having navigated the minefield of recent events, Chuck and Sarah used the Christmas...errr...Holiday party to reconnect. Their conversation stayed light, the dancing was often playful and there may have been a drink or two imbibed by the couple. Things were definitely looking up. However, Chuck couldn't shake the feeling that he was Wile E. Coyote and sometime soon a safe would drop on his head. It was with some trepidation that he followed along when Sarah grabbed his hand and dragged him to a quiet part of the store.

"Chuck, we have to talk," Sarah said, pinning him in place with her no-nonsense, blue-eyed gaze.

In his mind's eye, Chuck held up a little sign. 'Oh No!'. Crash! The safe was right on target.

He refocused to find Sarah snapping her fingers inches from his face. "Chuck, pay attention. This is important. Did you have too much to drink?"

Covering her hand, he brought it down. "No, I'm fine. I think your 'we need to talk' moment came a little sooner than I expected. I'd hoped it would come after the annual Jeff and Lester spin the bottle debacle." He grinned weakly.

A small smile graced her lips for a moment. "I can see how you wouldn't want to miss that," Sarah replied with a chuckle. Becoming more serious, she returned her full attention to Chuck. "I know things have been awkward between us. We need to fix that and soon. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. The Intersect, protecting you, this is all my mission and I believe in our team. We've done good work here and can do so much more. But, I can't do it alone. You need to be a part of this. My cover as your girlfriend is integral to our success. It lets me stay close to protect you, gives us reasons to be together when we go off on missions, it makes this all work and keeps you from a bunker. So, what was this let's dance crap when Jeff held up the mistletoe." She glared and tapped her foot, waiting for his response.

Unconsciously, Chuck glanced up to check for other falling objects. Clearing his throat, he started off with, "Well, you know me and PDA." When that did nothing to soften her expression, Chuck just rambled on nervously. "To be honest, I don't know what the right thing to do is. When Bryce left, I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again. Then, your 'mistake I won't make again' speech was pretty definitive. I guess I just have no idea where we stand right now and was afraid of a misstep."

Sarah relented and relaxed her mood. "I can understand that. This is all still really new to you. And, I can admit that it had me confused for a while as well. Let me just say, I am committed to the job, the team and to making this work. We can make this work, Chuck. The first order of business is to repair our cover. We have a couple of weeks till Christmas. That means there will be mistletoe in many locations. Can you handle it, Chuck?" Sarah leaned in close, invading his personal space and dropping her voice to a huskier tone on the final words.

What Chuck saw in her eyes was not a complete match with the more businesslike words she'd used. He closed the distance until they were nose to nose. "If that's what we need to do, you can count on me." The moment was broken by raucous hoots and howls from the other party goers. "Ooh, that sounds like spin the bottle." Grabbing her hand, Chuck raced back to the party.

Over the following days, Chuck was quite surprised at just how often you encountered mistletoe. And in some of the oddest places. He went with it though and was quite happy to be the doting boyfriend at every opportunity. Although, he began to suspect that Sarah might have something to do with the sudden bounty of mistletoe in the Burbank area. Testing his theory, during one of their hello kisses he engaged in a little searching. In other words, he let his hands roam. Don't think badly of Chuck, it was for a good cause. He didn't find any of the suspected plant. However, he was complimented by Sarah for showing some initiative in firming up their cover. Neither one caring about the tiny detail that no one was around to see it.


	12. Chuck vs the Undercover Lover

**The Epic Tale of James Cagey**

Sarah walked down the hallway of Casa Bartowski. Up ahead, she could hear the steady tap-tap-tapping of fingers on a keyboard. Chuck sounded pretty busy. She stopped at his door and peeked in to see him hard at work in front of his computer. As she watched, he would mutter and occasionally check a notebook that was sitting open next to him. Sarah observed for a few moments longer, wondering if she should interrupt. Coming over to hang out had been his idea, so she knocked and walked in.

"Hey there Chuck," Sarah said as she stepped close to peer over his shoulder.

Startled, Chuck minimized the window before turning to greet her. "Hi Sarah, I wasn't expecting you to come over so soon."

Chuckling, Sarah gestured to the clock on his nightstand. "It's 9 pm. That's when you told me to show up."

Her statement brought a blush to his cheeks. "Oh, so it is. I guess I lost track of time."

"What were you doing that captured your attention so completely?" she asked innocently.

"Nothing important. You wouldn't be interested. How's about we pick out a movie. I got some of that cheese flavored microwave popcorn to try out. I warn you though, you'll go home with yellow fingers." Chuck stood up and headed for the door.

Sarah fell into the vacated seat and palmed the mouse, scrolling for the document that had just been closed. "You go start the popcorn. I'll be along in a minute."

"Hey! You just can't go digging around on someone else's computer." Chuck rushed back and made a grab for the mouse.

Sarah got the file opened right before Chuck was able to capture her hand. "I'll have you know that digging around in other people's computers is in my job description," Sarah said with a wink. "What have we here?" She read a few lines then turned her curious gaze on Chuck. "Um, what would this be?"

Fidgeting, Chuck's eyes were flitting around the room as they avoided hers. "You're gonna laugh."

Sarah looked up with a tolerant expression. "Come on Chuck, we've known each other how long now? I won't laugh, promise."

"Okay, remember, no laughing." Taking a deep breath, Chuck explained, "I've started playing a new online game. I made a new character, a really kick butt warrior dude. Whenever I create a new persona for one of my games I like to write a little story about their history, motivations, any special or unique traits. It helps me to get into character when I am interacting with other people in the game." He eyed her warily as he finished.

Mostly able to hold back a giggle at his nerdliness, Sarah turned to the screen and resumed reading. She could feel Chuck hovering at her shoulder, radiating waves of nervous energy. Reaching back, she grabbed his hand. "Relax." He calmed somewhat, allowing her to concentrate.

It was the story of a warrior born into poverty. As a member of a tribe of human nomads, he grew up in a harsh world and learned to defend himself at a young age. Always believing he was meant for bigger things, he packed his sword and shield, saying good bye to his parents and the only life he'd known. James traveled the dusty roads in search of a greater purpose. Fate brought him to the defense of a besieged caravan. A caravan that was host to none other than Charles, a prince of the realm. As a reward for his timely arrival and assistance, Charles offered to make him his personal envoy. James would be sent on missions to neighboring kingdoms, especially when a diplomatic solutions seemed less than likely.

On one such mission, he met and fell in love with an exotic damsel by the name of Ileanna. Though they'd known each other for a short time, James Cagey was certain there was no other woman for him in the whole of the world. Sadly, it was not to be. Returning to his temporary lodgings after a late night scouting, he was horrified to see his cabin in flames. James tried to brave the inferno but to no avail. He was turned back at the door, choking and blistered. Kneeling in the dirt, he watched through the night until only smoldering cinders remained. All he found were the melted remains of Ileanna's favorite comb. On that day he made two vows. First, he would catch the person responsible and make him pay. Second, he would never open his heart to another person as long as he lived.

Sarah minimized the file. "That's interesting Chuck. I'd make sure Casey never finds out about it."

"And he never would have suspected anything if someone wasn't blabbing out loud in a room full of bugs. What kind of spy are you?" Chuck blurted out nervously, casting a glance at the Morgan door.

Arching her eyebrows, Sarah responded, "The kind of spy that can still kick your ass." A thought popped into her head and she turned for the notebook Chuck had been working from. He saw her target and snatched it away, hiding it behind his back. Standing up, Sarah got nose to nose with Chuck. "At some point in the past, you wouldn't have ever created a female character for one of your games, hmmm?"

Chuck gulped. "No, that's just silly. I'm a guy. I only make male characters"

Narrowing her eyes to get the right effect, Sarah whispered, "Just remember, I know where you sleep."


	13. Chuck vs the Marlin

**A Year From Now**

As the sun dipped low, it painted the slow rolling whitecaps in bronze and umber. The breeze blowing in from some exotic origin was much too fresh for Los Angeles. This was one of those fabled, west coast evenings where you were glad to be alive. If only the young woman drifting lightly over the sand cared about such things. Her mind was on the young man staring out to sea. She drug her feet just a little, announcing her arrival with a breathy swish-swish.

"I was wondering when you'd show up," Chuck said. He reached down to wipe the sand next to him into a smooth plane.

Sarah had to smile at the gesture, futile as it was on a beach. She carefully folded into a sitting position a few inches from her asset. "You've been down here a while. I thought you might be ready for some company."

"Your instincts were spot on Agent Walker." Chuck smiled ruefully. "Another fifteen minutes and I may have traded in moping for despondence."

She watched his profile as he drew in a breath, looked on the verge of saying more, then let out the breath. After a few more false starts, Sarah laid her hand on his arm. "Talk to me Chuck. Right now, I'm just Sarah, no Agent Walker to mess things up."

Facing her, his eyes were luminous and deep in the dimming light. She felt her breath catch as she started to fall in. "Will I be here in a year from now? I've been sitting here, reviewing all the little things that've happened in the last couple days. Good and bad, all playing like a movie in my head. Joking with Morgan at the Buy More, breakfast with my sister and Devon, even eating one of your over-cooked hot dogs on my lunch break." His throat tightened as tears threatened to fall. "I was minutes away from losing all of that, forever. We both know it was closer than we want to admit. What if next time, there is no last minute reprieve?"

Sarah had to turn away and hide her expression. If she didn't, he'd see that she'd spent a restless night plagued by that very question. A question she wished had an answer they could both live with. After practicing for this, she found her carefully rehearsed speech wouldn't come at the moment of truth. Chuck would hear the lie in her reassurances. "I.....I don't know, Chuck." Her words fell to the sand, leaden and lifeless.

From somewhere, he summoned a smile for her benefit. "I'd never forget you." The words were barely given enough breath to reach her ears.

She clung to that, something she could speak to in total confidence. "Chuck, it would be impossible to ever forget you."

Like two people lost at sea encountering the same piece of driftwood, they held on for dear life. The air between them took on an electric tang as their eyes came together fully for the second time that evening. In slow motion, Chuck and Sarah drew closer together. Not to share a kiss. Instead, foreheads touched, eyes closed, and they shared everything. Cementing their presence at this moment in time, declaring it to the cosmos and each other.

Shivering, Sarah was pulled back from the edge by the quickly dropping temperature. They spent the next seconds breathing as if they'd forgotten how and suddenly had the knowledge returned to them. Chuck reached over and pulled Sarah into a simple embrace meant to share only warmth. "It got dark," he observed.

Laughing, Sarah leaned in, grateful for the evening chill. "I've heard that happens when the sun goes down."

The couple settled into a comfortable silence. Minutes later, Sarah turned to Chuck and asked, "Chuck, will you go on a date with me?"

Somewhat surprised, Chuck wasn't sure how to respond. "Um, sure Sarah. Did you have anything in mind?"

She leaned her head into the crook of his neck as she watched the moonlight dance on the waves. "You and I, right here, one year from tonight."


	14. Chuck vs the First Date

**It's Time to Live**

Sarah leaned closer to the mirror, studying her makeup and touching up where needed. There was a buzz of excitement in the air around her. They were finally going to have their second date. Sort of a third date, but since the others were considered two first dates, this became the second date by default. She grinned at her reflection as the very Chuck-like thoughts bounced around her brain. Even more surprising, Chuck was going to cook for her. No one had ever cooked for her. Once upon a time, Sarah might've been unsettled by the foreign presence that had taken up residence in her heart. Today, she was able to see the truth, and knew it meant she was one step closer to becoming a whole person.

Stepping back, she twirled before the mirror for a final check. A giggle of girlish delight parted her lips and escaped into the room. The outfit was casual but still stylish. Of course, Chuck would declare her beautiful in a dress made of sack cloth. Sometimes, she wondered what he actually saw when he looked at her. Deep down, she held out hope that one day she could see herself in that same light. To her own eyes, she appeared tarnished and tattered at the edges from the life she'd led.

She walked to the living area of her hotel room and looked at the clock. There was still plenty of time before she had to go. Her gaze was drawn to the photograph on the nightstand. Approaching, Sarah picked it up and let the memories of that Halloween night fill her vision. It had been her idea that they have a real photo together. Something so totally taboo in her line of work, she knew her bosses would have a fit should they find out. Another sign that she was headed into some very new territory.

Unfortunately, the next thought was one she'd been trying so hard to avoid. Her mission was over. Soon, they'd be sending her somewhere else. As she rubbed her fingers over his smiling face, Sarah searched for the familiar feeling of anticipation that preceded a new assignment. A new challenge, new location, new people; all things that at one time had given her a thrill. The job never felt like a job until now. Dropping heavily to a seat on the bed, she returned the photo to it's place and stared out the window. Inspiration came to her as she studied the clouds. Who said she had to leave right away.

Her laptop was nearby. She opened it up and searched for a particular document. The fact it was so difficult to find brought another prick of sadness with it. How did it get so bad that she struggled to locate a simple vacation request form. The last time was with Bryce, already feeling like a lifetime ago. Maybe it wasn't the smart move, but Sarah knew she wasn't ready to disappear. Throwing caution to the wind, she put in for the full amount, every day she'd accrued. This was to be her chance to find out if there were other things worth fighting for that didn't involve national security. Tapping send, a great weight lifted from her shoulders.

With the request winging it's way through the internet to an in-box somewhere in DC, Sarah took one more look at Chuck. The memory of their almost kiss just days before reddened her cheeks and set her heart to fluttering. In for a penny, in for a pound. She started digging through her drawers, it was in here somewhere. A few months back, Sarah had been out killing time and ended up shopping to her own great surprise. Even more shocking, she bought something. Why? That was a question she had no answer for at the time. Now though, that little red negligee was perfect for her plans. There it was. She pulled it out and held it up, lace and straps and not much else. And, she knew she looked damn good in red.

Plan fully formed, Sarah quickly took action. The lingerie, her toothbrush and a few other essentials were soon tucked away in her purse. She caught her reflection and had to stop for a moment. Maybe she wasn't quite so tattered after all. Time heals all wounds they say. She was pretty sure that the person you spend that time with made the real difference. As she walked out the door, another phrase swirled around in her head. Today is the first day of the rest of your life, Sarah Walker.


	15. Chuck vs the Seduction

**I Can Change**

Knock, knock, knock.

Sarah opened the door to quite a surprise. Chuck stood there in white dinner jacket and matching white sneakers. He was holding tightly to a bottle of wine and a red rose. "Chuck....Hi....What are you doing here?" Sarah knew full well what a Montgomery was, but kept her tone questioning. She could see his nerves were a bit frayed at the edges and the thought of some teasing was too hard to resist. Sarah put on an expectant look, signaling for an answer to her question.

"Umm, hey Sarah. I was sort of in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by." Chuck shifted from one foot to the other.

Hiding a smile, Sarah transitioned to an expression of curiosity. "Do you normally drive around with a bottle of wine and a rose?"

Chuck met her eyes. She watched him consider and discard a number of responses before letting his shoulders droop. "Aw, who am I kidding. I'm not some suave super spy like Roan or Bryce. I'm sorry Sarah. This was stupid. I'll go."

She slipped some command into her voice, "Chuck, get in here." Meekly, he complied. Sarah shut the door before leading him over to the bed. "Sit." Next, Sarah coaxed the bottle and flower from his white knuckled grip and set them aside. She sat down beside him.

For the longest time, silence reigned as Chuck studied his shoes and Sarah studied Chuck. "I just want something to happen. We were so close Sarah, so close. Now, we have to go back to how things were. Roan had me convinced I could take this....thing between us to the next level."

"Chuck, it's my turn to talk for once." Sarah drew in a deep breath. "First of all, I wouldn't be here right now if I was interested in a Roan or Bryce. I willingly passed on living that life when I didn't go with Bryce the last time he was in town. Second, you'll never be a suave and debonair James Bond type guy. You're so much better than that. I wish I could make you see things from my perspective. Third, you aren't the only one that wanted more. I said yes to those dates and meant it." She let her last words hang between them. Chuck rose up and slowly drifted closer. The air sizzled with anticipation.

Pop! Bryce had freed the cork from Chuck's bottle of wine. "Care for a drink, Miss Walker?"

Sarah held up her glass and nodded, attention focused solely on the scene playing out on her bed. She and Chuck had fallen together, kissing ferociously as they tore at each other's clothing.

After pouring, Bryce filled his own glass before taking a seat at the small table. Sipping, he regarded the activities with some distaste. "Are you sure that's a good idea? You're supposed to be his handler and that requires some degree of distance from the asset." Noting the spectacular lack of distance being displayed by the young couple.

Sarah shot him an annoyed look. "I think it's a great idea. Do you know how long it's been?"

Rolling his eyes, he replied with amusement, "Is there any chance I can speak to non-horny Sarah?"

"I say again. Do you know how long it's been?" Sarah shivered as she observed Chuck pressing a line of kisses along her collar bone. "Why did you have to be in town tonight, Bryce?" Pointing at herself and her object of affection as they tangled in the sheets. "That could be me right now. Well, it is me right now, sort of. Oh, you know what I mean."

"It's probably for the best I did show up tonight. Especially if this was the alternative. Believe what you will, I've always looked out for Chuck. Sarah, I hate to say it, but you're bad news. Do you honestly think that you can be the person Chuck needs in his life? I know he thinks you're great. He probably even thinks he's in love. How long will that last when you won't be able to share even the smallest detail of your past? Let's face it Sarah, emotionally speaking, you won't keep him warm on a cold winter's night."

Quietly, she watched her fantasy. Not nearly so thrilling as it had been moments earlier. Sarah knew she could make Chuck happy like this. Of that there was no doubt. But what about after? When he wanted to cuddle and talk? Or when some random thought made him ask about her childhood and she closed up on him. "I can change." The words were not convincing to her own ears. "I can change!" She said it again, more forcefully. Turning to Bryce, she dared him to disagree.

Trying to be gentle, Bryce spoke softly, "People can change, happens every day. But, Sarah Walker change?"

Moans from the bed scaled louder with the nearing climax. Sarah's heart was beating in her ears as she burned with a mixture of anger and fear; lust and self loathing. "I'm a person, not a robot. I wasn't built in some lab. Of course I can change." Bryce looked skeptical. Everything in the room was getting louder until she was screaming to be heard over her own cries of pleasure. "I CAN CHANGE!"

Sarah shot awake with three words echoing in her head. "I can change! You hear me Bryce Larkin!" She grabbed her pillow and threw it at the man sleeping on her couch. Dropping back to the bed, she pulled the blankets up over her head and curled in on herself.

Shocked by the sudden attack, Bryce rolled over quickly. Right off the couch and onto the floor with a thump. "What the hell did I do?"


	16. Chuck vs the BreakUp

**That's a Psycho Elven Queen**

Chuck was typing away at the main terminal in Castle as Casey leaned over his shoulder. "Tell me again why you need to go online to answer my question? And you better not be surfing for porn." Casey growled next to Chuck's ear.

"Down big fella. You wanted to know what a psycho elven queen looks like. I'm gonna show you." Chuck entered a few more commands and then leaned back in his char.

The displays lit up with multiple web pages depicting many panels of fantasy artwork. Muscled heroes and buxom swords-women were featured in a variety of poses and states of dress. Casey took it all in, brow furrowed in concentration. "Who's this Boris Vallejo guy?"

"Casey, Casey, Casey. You've never heard of Boris? He's huge in the fantasy art world."

"In other words, he's popular with the adults living in their parent's basement crowd," Casey sneered. "Oh, wait, I need to correct that. He's popular with the nerd living with sister and fiance crowd."

"Ha ha, you kill me sometimes. Umm...you know I'm only talking figuratively right?" Chuck was flipping through pages of art, searching for just the right one. Upon finding it, he moved it to the main screen. "That's a psycho elven queen."

"Wow, Boris. I haven't looked at his stuff in years," Bryce said as he led the freshly bandaged Fulcrum agent into the main room. Sarah had taken care of the shoulder wound and now they were waiting for agents to take her away. Handcuffing her to a chair at the conference table, Bryce asked, "What are you looking at that for? Is Casey interested in getting into role-playing games too?" Casey and Bryce shared unfriendly grimaces.

"Nothing that out of the box. I was just showing him how much our guest resembles a psycho elven queen." Chuck spun in his chair and pointed at the enemy agent.

"Would you stop calling me that," she burst out. Looking up at the monitor, the operative complained, "I look nothing like whatever that....thing....is."

"Are you kidding? That nose, those high, sharp cheekbones. You are totally elven queen material. The whole psycho part was a judgment call in the heat of the moment." Snapping his fingers, Chuck whipped out his Iphone and took a picture of her. He spun back around and connected his phone to the computer. "Okay, so we crop the face....move it over....blend the skin tones...and there you have it." Chuck rolled back and looked up at his photo-shopped masterpiece.

After a few moments of study, Casey turned to the agent, "You have to admit, that's eerily similar to the original."

"Can I be locked up now. Please." The Fulcrum operative dropped her head to the table.

Bryce tapped Chuck on the shoulder. "Do one of Sarah."

Shrinking a bit at the suggestion, Chuck weakly responded, "I don't know if that's such a good idea. You're leaving. I have to stay and be her cover boyfriend."

"Man up Bartowski, she'll never find out." Casey gave him a not so friendly shove.

"Fine, but for the record this was not my idea." With that, Chuck began scrolling through the pages.

"That one!" Bryce jabbed his finger at the screen.

"That one?" Chuck squeaked.

"That one." Casey affirmed.

Sighing, Chuck moved it to the main display. Next, he began a search of Orange Orange surveillance video for a good picture of Sarah.

"What is she wearing?" Casey had to ask as he tilted his head this way and that.

Obviously uncomfortable with the whole situation, Chuck responded with little enthusiasm. "In the realm of fantasy, that is what they call a chain-mail bikini." Turning to glare at Bryce as he added, "Minus the top."

"But her long hair is artfully and strategically arranged," Bryce replied instantly.

Impressed, Casey watched how quickly Chuck could produce a very believable picture with Sarah's face blended in perfectly.

From behind them, Sarah exclaimed, "Oh sure, leave me to clean up the infirmary while you boys are out here ogling Boris pictures." Her voice jumped up an octave. "Chuck! What! Is! That!" Sarah pointed at the large monitor with the large picture on it.

Spinning frantically to face the angered lady agent, Chuck held up his hands and stammered, "They made me do it. It's all them." As Chuck tried to mollify Sarah, Casey reached down and hit the print screen button.

"Were they holding a gun on you? Cause I don't see one anywhere." Sarah shot him an icy stare as she folded her arms across her chest.

Chuck looked down in embarrassment. "No," he muttered quietly.

"I'm going to get my purse and when I get back here that had better be deleted. Completely. Do I make myself clear?"

From her spot at the table, the Fulcrum agent jumped in, "Make him delete the one he did of me also."

Sarah twisted to look at the enemy operative, then twirled back to face Chuck. "You did one of her too? Why would you do that?"

Chuck pointed at Casey. "He wanted to know what a psycho elven queen looked like, so I showed him." Brushing a couple of keys, the image on the main view-screen shifted to his first picture.

After studying the photo-shopped image, Sarah commented, "He does have a point. You really do."

The enemy agent mumbled, "They're all crazy...They're all crazy..." while banging her head on the table.

Pointing imperiously, Sarah gave Chuck her best 'do it or else, mister' look. "You! Make that picture of me go away. Got it?"

"Yes, Sarah." Chuck turned back to the keyboard to erase the offending image as Sarah stormed out of the room.

Off to the side, Bryce remarked, "That was interesting. Sarah knows who Boris Vallejo is."

Casey sauntered over to the color printer and lifted up the picture. "This is going on my wall of surveillance photos."

"No! Casey, you can't do that. Sarah will kill me," Chuck begged.

As he walked up the stairs to the exit, Casey snidely remarked, "You should've thought of that before you started playing with the nerd porn. I can't wait till she sees it. You might want to start sleeping in a bullet proof vest, Bartowski." Laughing, Casey exited Castle.

Bryce walked over to calm his friend down. "Don't worry Chuck, I'll tell Sarah it was my idea. I can take the heat for this one. But, we have to get Casey back. Feel up to making one more picture?" He turned Chuck around and pointed at one of the images. "I think that would be perfect. Casey for the man obviously. And for the woman, I'm thinking Star Jones or maybe Rosie O'Donnell?."

"Bryce, you are one evil dude." Chuck set to work with a vengeance.


	17. Chuck vs the Cougars

**Memories, Morgan and Mango-Guava Madness**

_Sarah stood there feeling a little self-conscious with the cheap tiara perched on her head. She was dripping wet, her hair and makeup a mess. Not to mention the cut lip and bruises that had to be showing pretty well by now. Try as she might, ignoring the murmurs of disapproval from her classmates was becoming unbearable. That was when the crowd parted and like a knight on white charger, Chuck approached._

_"Congratulations Sarah. Personally, I had no doubts." He stopped inches from her and beamed a smile that could light up the whole room by itself. For her part, Sarah cast her eyes down and stared at her bare feet in embarrassment. This was much too much attention for the long time agent. Doing so meant she missed the signal from Chuck to Casey._

_A hand intruded into her field of vision. "May I have this dance, my queen?" Chuck whispered._

_Automatically she reached for him, hesitating at the last second. "Chuck, I'm soaking wet."_

_"You're perfect."_

_"But, my hair, makeup, I must look awful."_

_"You're beautiful."_

_"There's no music."_

_"That is why I tipped the dj 20 bucks," he quickly answered. As if on cue, she heard the opening strains of a barely remembered slow song from her high school days._

_"Please?" Chuck let the one word hang between them, expression and extended hand never wavering. Sarah was doing all the wavering. She wanted to, there was no denying that. As much as her father disapproved, Sarah had entertained thoughts of a prom and a dress and a boy. At least, once upon a time. She should have known better than to dream. It always ended badly. To have the dream become reality these many years later was disorienting to say the least._

_"Did Casey really make you give him 20 dollars?" Sarah stalled._

_Grinning, "Are you kidding? He wanted 40."_

_She laughed. It felt so good, so right. Nodding, Sarah stepped into his arms and let him lead. Sometime during the dance, and so softly she almost missed it, Sarah heard, "Thank you."_

The door to the Orange Orange swung open and startled Sarah out of her revery. Slipping into her pleasant smile, she turned to the customer. "Hello and welcome to the Orange Orange. Would you like to try our...Oh, hey Morgan. What brings you by?" Sarah's eyes flashed to the door, hoping that maybe Chuck was right behind him.

Morgan took up a position before the counter and appeared almost solemn as he looked up at Sarah. "I salute you fair lady. You have accomplished what I thought to be impossible."

Sarah, confused by his statement, had to ask, "Exactly what impossible task did I perform?"

Leaning closer and dropping his voice, Morgan explained, "This doesn't leave the room. Chuck is usually pretty open, but there are some things he can't bring himself to talk about. I'm not sure he'd be happy with me telling you about this. Can you keep a secret?"

Dipping down to eye level, Sarah was a mix of curious and concerned at Morgans very serious demeanor. "I promise that no one will hear it from me."

"Good." Morgan took another quick look around before starting his story. "Chuck was telling me that the two of you went to your high school reunion. You must have done some serious convincing to pull that off."

Knowing it was the other way around, Sarah nodded in agreement to get Morgan to continue.

"It all started with our junior prom. Somehow, Chuck had managed to get a date with Stacy Morgan. She was hot, popular, one of the cheerleaders. A good bet to win prom queen." Morgan paused in reflection. "I never have figured out how he pulled that one off."

'_I can see it,' _Sarah thought to herself. "Did the date not go well?"

"The world will never know. Shortly before the big night, Chuck's Dad just up and left. It was already known around school that their Mom had taken off years earlier. Ellie and Chuck had dealt with that and moved on. Imagine the talk that went around when the other parent leaves too. The rumors were flying and Chuck took the brunt of it with Ellie off at college. Stacy found herself a new date in record time. The only school function Chuck attended after that was graduation."

Sympathy pains squeezed her heart as she listened to an almost familiar story.

"Then, our boy went off to Stanford. He made friends with Bryce Larkin and started dating Jill. I was really happy for him, things seemed to be finally going his way. You know how that turned out. Betrayed by his best friend and his girl. Ellie and I tried to get him to go to our five year reunion, just to get him out of the house. We thought seeing some familiar faces might bring back our old Chuck. He would have nothing to do with it. Chuck felt like a complete failure. He made us swear to never bring up reunions or dances or any of that stuff ever again. So, imagine my surprise to hear he went to yours. I am humbled by your superior powers of persuasion."

"Morgan, I think you're giving me too much credit. Chuck seemed to like the idea all on his own."

"And the lady is modest as well. No wonder Chuck likes you so much." Peering past her, Morgan brightened. "Hey, is that Mango-Guava Madness?"

Smiling at his sudden turn of mood, Sarah said, "Yes it is Morgan. Would you like some?"

"I think it is only prudent. Chuck would be suspicious if I returned from break empty handed."

A few minutes later, Sarah observed Morgan crossing the parking lot to the Buy More. On a whim, she tapped a few keys on the register and brought up the camera covering the Nerd Herd desk. Chuck was deep in conversation with a customer. Sarah could read the frustration he was feeling, certain the customer was picking up none of it. As she watched him, the barely heard '_Thank you_.' slid through her thoughts.

"You make it so easy to forget that you're broken too," Sarah said to the image on the monitor. "Will there come a day when we ask too much?" _'Or, I can't give you enough?'_


	18. Chuck vs Tom Sawyer

**It's All Flan and Games Until Someone Loses a Pie**

"No, General! I won't do it!" Chuck paced rapidly in front of the monitor, feet slapping loudly on Castle's concrete floor. "Ellie still doubts my sanity after the whole Jeff debacle. With what just happened, I'm starting to think she might be right."

Sarah softly interjected, "Calm down Chuck. It's not that bad."

"Not that bad! Not that bad!" Chuck exploded. "An internationally wanted assassin was just in the Buy More looking for Lester. Lester! Is there no one normal in my life?"

General Beckman's voice cut the air. "Sit Down Mr. Bartowski!"

His head whipped around. Cowed, Chuck nodded once and resumed his seat.

"Do we know why Marcel Phantomas is in Burbank, General?" Casey asked, breaking the silence. "Who could be a target high-profile enough for someone to hire, 'The Chef'?"

"Analysts are working on that right now, Major. When we have a list of probable targets, it will be up to your team to do the rest. In the meantime, we need to find out what he wants with Lester. Chuck, is there anything we can use from your flash?"

Closing his eyes, Chuck reviewed the data stream from his encounter with Marcel. "Marcel Phantomas, code-named 'The Chef'. He is a world-renowned assassin for hire. They call him 'The Chef' because the man is a master of pastry, desserts and poison. It is said that his creations are so amazing, the target dies in ecstasy. Oh, and he never uses the same recipe twice."

"Oh my God!" Sarah exclaimed.

Curious eyes focused on her as the General asked, "What is it Agent Walker?"

"On a hunch, I did a search on Lester and desserts. You're not going to believe it." She turned the laptop around for all to see. Displayed on it's glowing screen was a picture of a teen-aged Lester wearing an apron. The headline read, 'Local boy wins Betty Crocker Cook-Off.' Sarah further explained, "Apparently, Lester's dessert creation is known in the food circles to be a singular and irresistible delight." Reading through the story, she made a face. "It sounds disgusting. Chocolate and Lox stuffed curry-cream crepes."

"Lester the weasel? Inventor of the curry-cream crepe? That's impossible!"

Chuck and Sarah stared incredulously at Casey's sudden outburst. Before either could ask, the General drew their attention back to her. "Is it possible 'The Chef' is after Lester's winning recipe to use as a weapon on his current assignment?"

Casey's reply was tinged in disbelief, "If Lester really is the inventor, then yes, I can see Marcel wishing to acquire the recipe. He is the right kind of monster to twist something so sublime into an instrument of evil." Casey clenched and unclenched his hands in anger. Sarah and Chuck could only look on in confusion at his passion for pastry.

All business, the General chose to ignore what was happening at the conference table. "We have no choice then. Team, your mission is to get that recipe at any cost."

Chuck slumped at the proclamation. "I'm gonna be scarred for life after just one evening with Jeff. Now, I have to befriend Lester as well?" Sarah placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

"Man up Bartowski. Think of all the suffering you've put me through." Casey grumbled.

"Actually Chuck, you're not the right agent for this mission."

Casey's head snapped up. "General? You can't ask me to do that. I'm not that person anymore."

"I'm sorry Major, the stakes are too high. I have no choice and neither do you."

Chuck said almost gleefully, "Who was just telling me to man up? I believe it was you Casey."

The muscles in his shoulders and arms tensed as John stood and leaned over the table, "You shut up or I will make you shut up."

"At ease Major," the General commanded. "We both know you are the only person qualified for the mission. Casey, only you will know if the recipe is real or not. Or, should I say, Antoine?"

Flinching at the name, Casey watched as Chuck's eyes began to flutter. "Don't you flash Bartowski, don't you dare flash." He knew it was already too late.

_A bowl of fruit,_

_ Culinary school,_

_ Newspaper clippings,_

_ John Casey in chef's hat and apron,_

_ Cooking awards,_

_ Antoine Dubay_

_ A bowl of fruit._

"You...you...you're Antoine Dubay? The Antoine Dubay?" Chuck was stunned at his latest flash. "Casey, that means you were the croissant king of California. The troubadour of the turnover. The master of the mixing bowl. Admiral of the apple tart."

Face turning redder by the second, Casey growled with menace, "Bartowski, you'd better shut your..."

"Pie hole?" Chuck started to giggle. Even Sarah had to cover her mouth to suppress a laugh.

Apoplectic, Casey lunged across the table. With a loud and girly squeak, Chuck threw himself backwards. He dashed up the stairs without looking back. Tripping on a chair that suddenly appeared in his path, the Major was slowed in his pursuit, giving Chuck a few more seconds head start. Sarah watched him bull rush his way up the steps.

"Agent Walker. I'd wipe that smirk off your face. Major Casey isn't the only one that has an embarrassing secret."

Sarah sobered instantly. "Yes General."

Glaring at Sarah, General Beckman said, "Don't you have an asset to save?"

"Yes General." Agent Walker ran out of Castle after the two men.

"Admiral of the apple tart." Diane Beckman chuckled as she cut the feed.


	19. Chuck vs the Ex

**C'mon Casey, I Showed You Mine**

Crowing triumphantly, Chuck entered Castle with his fist held high in the air. "I did it. I did it. Mission accomplished."

"Mission accomplished?" Casey said, looking up from the report he was writing. "Since when did not learning anything useful on your date with Jill and then getting left standing at the curb like a schmuck become a recipe for success?"

"Hey. I said I was sorry. How could I know Jeff and Lester would be out stalk.....cruising for chicks," Chuck countered defensively. "Anyhow, that's not important right now." Chuck's eyes danced back and forth between his partners in obvious glee. "I got my mojo back from Jill!" he exclaimed, waving it around so they both could see.

Sarah blushed and averted her eyes.

Casey squinted. "Looks a little small to me."

Snatching his hand back, Chuck looked flustered. "It's....cold in here. Yeah, cold. I can't count the number of times I've seen poor Sarah wearing a sweater while she was in Castle. The CIA should really loosen up the purse strings a little and let us bump up the heat a couple more degrees."

Rolling his eyes, Casey returned his attention to the file in front of him.

Enthusiasm undiminished, Chuck did a little happy dance over by the stairs. "I got my mojo. I got my mojo...."

Sarah bit her lip. The siren call of Chuck's mojo-enhanced gyrations beckoned seductively. Glancing up, Casey could read the distress on his partner's face. He tapped the table to get her attention. Sarah already knew what he was going to say. Unwillingly, she met his gaze. "You know what has to be done, Walker," Casey whispered. "It's for the good of the team."

Once again, she found herself stuck with doing what was right for the team and hurting Chuck in the process. Casey stared daggers at his partner as she wavered with indecision. Finally, Sarah nodded brusquely and slid a smile into place. She stood and spun on her heel to face Chuck. The full force of Chuck's returned mojo rocked her back, but it wasn't enough to deter Sarah now that the choice had been made.

"Hey Chuck. That's really great you got your mojo back. I'm surprised Jill still had it after all this time." Sarah did her best to focus past Chuck, avoiding his eyes at all costs. When she laid her hand on his forearm it was like wrapping her fingers around a live wire.

"It's not that surprising. Mojo Rule Number Six: The only way to get rid of a mojo is return it to the rightful owner."

"Are you sure everything is okay with it? It seems to have very little pop," Sarah lied as tingles cascaded up her arm. "I don't think Jill took very good care of it."

"What? Really? Feels like it always did to me." Chuck looked down at his mojo in concern.

"Chuck, it has been a long time. Your memories have become diluted over the years. Tell you what. Let me have a look at it. With a little TLC, I'm certain I can breathe new life into your mojo."

He hesitated. "Maybe it will come back on its own. After I've had some time to get reacquainted with my mojo. Are you sure this is the best way?" Sarah nodded and held out her other hand. "All right, here, see what you can do." Chuck dropped his mojo into her open palm.

"Thank you." Sarah closed her fingers around it. Chuck's presence dimmed. To her, it felt like the sun had just gone down. "I'm really sorry, Chuck." Tucking his mojo into her pants pocket, she couldn't meet his gaze for a different reason, shame.

"What? But you said. Wait, wait, what's going on here? Why are you sorry?" Realization dawned as Chuck read the message in Sarah's body language. "Give it back, Sarah. You can't just take it. Mojo Rule Number One: No one can take a man's mojo..."

"....it must be given willingly," Sarah finished. "And you did just that. Please believe me. I will give it back to you one day. Don't you see, Chuck, it's for your own good and the good of all of us. What would Ellie or your friends at the Buy More think if you showed up with your mojo? It would totally ruin our cover as boyfriend/girlfriend. And, how could you and I go undercover as a couple with your mojo dangling free for all to see? If you want to be a spy, this is how it has to be."

"The job comes first, huh, Agent Walker?"

"When it involves your safety, always."

Chuck had more to say, but a blinking light on the main display drew their attention. Sarah sighed, "I've got customers. We'll talk later." She jogged up the steps to the freezer entrance. The ghost of pins and needles was still present in her palm. Chuck's mojo was very impressive. One day, Sarah hoped he would be happy she was holding onto it.

Still angry at losing his mojo again, Chuck zeroed in on the only other person in the room. "So, that's what it takes to be a spy? What about you Casey? Does General Beckman have your mojo locked up in one of her desk drawers?"

Casey spluttered at the absurd accusation. "Not only no, Bartowski, hell no."

"Really? Then prove it. C'mon Casey, I showed you mine. Whip that puppy out and toss it on the table."

"I'll do no such thing," Casey growled with menace.

"That's what I thought. You won't do it because you can't." Chuck dropped into a chair and stared at his hands.

After an eternity that was at least five minutes, Casey started talking, "It was cold that night. Really deep into your bones cold. The mission wasn't my first, but I was still too wet behind the ears for my own good. I blew it. Next thing I knew, I'm running for my life with a bullet in my chest. When I couldn't run anymore, I hid in the backseat of a car. I must have passed out. Next thing I remember, she was in the front seat driving home."

Chuck looked over. Casey's focus was thousands of miles away as he told his story. "She drove over some railroad tracks. The car bounced and I gasped in pain. Startled, she saw me, saw all the blood. Instead of doing the smart thing like running to the cops, she just kept driving until we reached her home. I never asked why. She never brought it up. Together we removed the bullet and got me patched up. It took a couple of weeks before I'd healed enough to leave."

He smiled. "Those were great weeks. We talked, didn't talk, laughed. Then, one night it just happened."

"Do you miss it, Casey? Your mojo?"

Blinking his eyes, Casey's thoughts returned to the Castle. "Sometimes, things turn out the way they do because it is meant to be. We don't always know it at the time. No Chuck, I don't miss my mojo. It's right where it belongs."

Spinning slowly in his chair, Chuck's eyes walked up the steps to the Orange Orange door. "Maybe you're right Casey. Some things are meant to be."

Chuck sat for a while longer. Apparently, the story was finished. Looking to the door once more, Chuck felt an apology was in order. He knew Sarah was only looking out for him. As he reached the top step, one more question leapt to mind. Before Chuck could ask, Casey answered, "Canada."


	20. Chuck vs the Fat Lady

**Chuck vs the Fat Lady**

He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this happy. For some reason, his life had chosen now to finally come together. Jill was back and it was wonderful. Practically skipping, he entered the quaint, country-themed convenience store on a mission. Something more his speed and eminently safer, Chuck needed traveling supplies. He scanned the layout in search of likely hiding spots for turkey jerky and gummi bears.

Spotting the candy aisle, Chuck floated across the store, head in the clouds with thoughts of Jill. Behind the counter was a very large woman in a folksy, flannel shirt, cell phone glued to her ear. "No Momma, Myndy is the one dating the Larson boy. You're thinking of Myrna."

She listened impatiently. "Yes, that's right. Myrna dated the Larson boy last year."

"Momma, how can you have forgotten that already?" The woman rolled her eyes. "Both of Mychelle's pregnancy tests were negative. And, she swears it wasn't the Larson boy. Honestly, I only have three daughters and that's too much for you to keep straight."

After a few moments of reading packaging, Chuck strolled over to the counter. He looked at the portly woman's name tag. "Excuse me, Myranda, do you have any gummi bears. I couldn't seem to find them on your shelf over there."

"Just a second, Ma." She set down the phone and regarded Chuck with a look of disgust. "We don't sell gummi bears here. That's something you can get at one of them fancy, city convenience stores," she said contemptuously. "The Mountain Family Co., Inc, LLC chain of stores has their own brand of equally tasty candy at a much more affordable price," she droned on in a bored tone. "A bag of gummi bears might run you $4.95 in the city. Here, you can pick up a bag of Chewy Chipmunks for only $4.50. Just another value we pass on to you, the customer."

Chuck stood there open-mouthed for a few seconds. Recovering quickly, he queried, "Umm, okay. Which do you prefer, the Chewy Chipmunks, Rubber Raccoons, Squishy Squirrels, Bite-me Bears...?"

At that, Myranda picked up her phone and turned away, "I'm back, Ma."

"Just some city boy asking dumb questions," she said after a short pause. Listening some more, she barked out, "My boy Mychael is no thief! He found that car and all that money while out with the Larson boy. I can't believe you'd even think that about one of your own grandkids."

Waving his hand for attention, Chuck broke in, "Excuse me again Myranda. Do you have any turkey jerky?"

Myranda sighed, "Just a second, Ma." She turned to face Chuck. "Of course we do sir. Mountain Family Co., Inc, LLC has a fine assortment of jerky made specially just for us. But, not turkey. Our most popular is Regular Rascally Rabbit. We also have Honey-BBQ Hedgehog, Teriyaki Turtle, Country-fried Coyote and Spicy Skunk." Leaning over the counter, Myranda confided in lowered tones, "I don't recommend that last one."

Chuck whispered back, "Does it smell bad?"

"Smell bad? Don't be an idiot. It's jerky. How can it smell bad? I don't like it cause they use those whole peppercorns and I'm always having to pick them outta my teeth." Myranda reached for her cell.

Interrupting before the clerk could return to her phone conversation, Chuck asked, "How about bottled water? Does the Mountain Family Co., Inc, LLC chain of stores have it's own brand of that too? Let me guess, Rip-Roaring River Water, or maybe Wonderful Well Water?"

Myranda squinted at Chuck, annoyed, before pointing to the back wall and a large Dasani sign.

**Chuck – 0**

** Fat Lady - 1**


	21. Chuck vs the Gravitron

**Lie Detector Truth or Dare**

Chuck straightened to his full height, rolling his shoulders to relieve the built up tension. He looked down at the laptop and smiled at his handiwork. "Okay, that should do it," he said. "Now all we need is to test the system responses." He made a quick check of both agents and the polygraph equipment they were connected to before giving a thumbs up.

Looking across the table at Casey, Sarah asked, "Do you like guns?"

"Yes," he responded immediately.

"_Ding!" _sounded from the speakers nearby.

"That's a good positive response, now for a negative." Chuck glanced over to Sarah. "Can I drive your Porsche this weekend?"

"Yes, of course," Sarah answered.

"_Bzzzzt!"_

Sighing, Chuck playfully whined, "Another dream killed in it's prime. That was definitely a negative response." After checking the readings on the computer screen, Chuck stated, "Okay, you're all set. What exactly are you doing, anyhow?"

"Part of agent training involves resisting interrogation. Once a year, all agents are required to take a polygraph test and successfully fool the equipment," Casey explained. "If you fail, there is a mandatory refresher course. Something I never want to do again. The instructor and I have a history."

"The verbal cues will make it easier for Casey and I to practice efficiently," Sarah added. "Since that seems to be working, you don't have to hang around Castle anymore, Chuck."

"I can't stay and watch? I promise you won't even know I'm here," Chuck pleaded. "It might be very educational for me as an agent in training."

"Not a chance, Nerd-boy. I'm sure Morgan is missing you terribly by now. Why don't you run on home instead of distracting us. Beating interrogation is not a game, Bartowski. It takes focus and concentration," Casey finished with a warning glare.

Chuck stared pointedly at the large bottles of tequila and two shot glasses. "Yes, I can see that. Very serious business."

"A thorough interrogation can involve chemical inducement as well," Sarah said. "It's an important part of the training regimen."

Rolling his eyes, Chuck held his hands up in surrender. "If that's what you kids are calling it these days, then enjoy your training. I'll leave you hard working agents alone." He gathered up his laptop and trudged from the room.

Sarah and Casey waited a minute, listening. When they were sure he'd actually left the area, Sarah opened the bottle and started pouring. "Standard rules for lie detector truth or dare?" Sarah pushed one of the glasses in front of Casey.

"Yep. Get caught in a lie, do a shot," Casey answered.

"So John, we've all heard the rumors. I'd love to hear what really happened in Prague...That mission with Carina...I've got a few questions for you." Sarah smiled sweetly from across the table.

_**(An hour and a half and two bottles later)**_

"...and that's the moment Bryce chose to bust down the door and save me." Sarah made finger quotes around the word "save" before giggling even louder than before.

Red-faced from laughing, Casey asked, "Was the monkey still in the chandelier?"

"Yes, he sure was, swinging back and forth." She wiped at a tear.

_Ding!_

"I'd have loved to see the look on Larkin's face. Was he worried about the competition from your simian suitor?"

Slapping the table, Sarah needed a few moments before she could speak. "Worried enough that he hadn't taken the time to get dressed. He stood there in a towel and stared at the monkey as water pooled at his feet."

"He was monitoring from the shower?"

"Yep!"

_Ding!_

"Did he ever catch you and Chuck having one of your moments?" Casey said with a snicker.

"What?" Sarah sobered at the question. Somewhat. The weaving back and forth in her chair didn't really subside at all. "No, nothing like that ever happened."

_Ding!_

Sensing an opening, Casey made his move. "So, you're saying that Bryce never caught you and Chuck making googly eyes at each other."

"Yes, Casey. That is exactly what I'm saying." Sarah folded her arms across her chest, appearing offended at the notion, squinting at his blurry face.

_Ding!_

"That's what I thought. The two of you have gotten pretty good at hiding your feelings." Casey leaned back in his chair.

Sarah brightened, " Yes, we have."

_Ding!_

In his mind, he could hear the jaws of his trap snap shut. "It's true, then. You do feel the warm and fuzzies for Bartowski."

Her mouth moved but no sound came out. It took a few moments for Sarah's tequila addled brain to furnish her with a response. "No. Of course not."

_Bzzzzt!_

"Gotcha, Walker."

Shooting a dirty look at Casey, Sarah reached for the bottle between them.

Casey snatched it up first, holding the tequila out of reach. "I'm thinking it's time we upped the ante." After quickly scanning the room, Casey pointed at the security camera in the corner. "I dare you to flash the camera."

"What!" Sarah's face somehow got even redder.

"You know, flash the camera. Let the sweater puppies out for a walk. I promise not to look and we can erase it later," Casey cajoled.

She eyed him cautiously. "You won't look? We'll erase it later? What's the point?"

"A dare's a dare Walker. You gonna do it or not?"

Alcohol short-circuited any further contemplation of the odd dare. After all, can't say it was the first time things traveled down this road during lie detector truth or dare. "Fine, on the count of three. No looking, right?" Casey nodded at her and squeezed his eyes shut. Sarah turned to the camera. "One...two...three..." She pulled down her top...

_Crash!...Thud! _Followed by other noises from somewhere deep in Castle. Weakly, they heard Chuck say, "Sorry, dropped the file I was reading. Nothing to see her...here...nothing to see here."

Casey nearly fell from his chair, laughing until tears were in his eyes.

Sarah's cheeks were really burning now. She sputtered in anger. "John Casey, you knew Chuck was out there, didn't you?"

He wasn't able to answer right away. Taking some deep breaths, Casey said, "Nope, I'm as surprised as you are."

_Bzzzzt!_

"Ah ha, liar," Sarah shouted.

"Oh crap." Casey's laughter faded quickly. He squared himself in the chair and looked calmly across the table. "Take your best shot, Walker."

_**(The next day at the Buy More)**_

Stumbling through the doors, Sarah winced at the loud bass thumping from over in car stereos. She made a beeline to the Nerd Herd desk and leaned over, resting her head on the cool surface.

"I hate yogurt. And I hate noisy yogurt eaters." Sarah mumbled.

"If it makes you feel any better, Casey is still a little green around the gills as well." Chuck cleared his throat. "Umm, Sarah, about yesterday. I'm really sorry..."

She reached up and put a finger on his lips. "Shhhhh...no talking. Especially about yesterday. It's okay if we never bring it up again."

Ducking his head, Chuck whispered, "Why did you come over here, then?"

"To be a witness." Sarah couldn't stop a little smile from forming.

Chuck threw his gaze around the store, curious. "Witness to what?"

"You'll see." Sarah pushed herself upright when Casey walked in to view. As their bloodshot eyes met, she forced herself to stand tall. They nodded and Casey strode purposefully across the main aisle.

Silently, Chuck observed their actions. He looked on as Casey walked up to Lester, pulled him close and kissed him on the lips. The entire store went silent. For a three count, no one moved. Life returned to the Buy More as Casey, looking even greener, fled to the restroom.

Jeff watched him go and said, "Sometimes, I wish I was the pretty one."


End file.
